Cafe Castanet
by strawberrylemonwedge
Summary: High School seniors Molly and Chase have been friends for years. Now they're working together at the city's newest coffee shop, Café Castanet. Things can get pretty dull during the slow night shift but familiar faces, strange guests, and maybe a little romance will help spice up the night. A High School/Coffee Shop AU.
1. The Night Shift

**A/N: Here it is, my first ever fanfic! The idea for this little one-shot just came to me one night while I was trying to sort out plot for a full sized fic I want to write. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: Well this is fanfiction, does it need to be said that I don't own Harvest Moon or it's characters? **

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The Night Shift

"Shut up." Molly huffed as she wrung out a wet rag over a bucket of sanitized water. "I do not." It was difficult for her to ignore her co-worker's chuckles while she tried to concentrate on wiping down the already clean countertops. Business at Cafe Castanet was always slow at this hour and she'd already cleaned all the counters and tables several times. Once she was back in range to see into the kitchen, the chef on shift resumed his teasing.

"Yes you do. Every single time. It's like you inhale helium but the effect wears off the second the customer turn-"

"Hello, ma'am! Welcome to Cafe Castanet. What can I get you this evening?" Molly's voice rose several pitches as she greeted the young woman that had just walked up to the counter. She smiled pleasantly listening carefully to her order. The smile dropped the moment the women turned away to find a seat. Molly swiveled around to glare at the chef who wasn't even trying to stifle his laughter. "I said 'Shut up', Chase! Everyone's voice does that when they talk to a customer! Or when they talk on the phone, or...you know what, whatever. Just get the lady her coffee before she files a complaint."

Chase's laughter tapered off enough to allow him to fill the customers order without making a mess. Not that he would have made a mess anyway. Working the same job since his freshman year was enough to make him masterful at even the more difficult tasks.

"She won't file a complaint. You know her, she goes to our school." he said.

"What?" Molly turned to get a better look.

The girl was sitting at a small table by a window looking out at the disappearing sunset. She had short green hair and wore a similarly green jumper. A book sat on the table in front of her, propped open with her thumb. Although her face was turned away from Molly, she recalled she saw that the girl wore a pair of red, round framed glasses when she took her order.

"Oh, yeah. Phoebe right? Isn't she graduating this year too? I hear that guy Owen mention her sometimes. He said she's got an apprenticeship in an out of state college."

"Yeah, probably, I wouldn't know. Here's her stuff." Molly stuck her tongue out at Chase but took the tray off his hands.

She knew he rarely had any interest in the affairs of their peers. Though sometimes, if he was in the right mood, they would fill the lulls in their shifts with meaningless but friendly conversations about their classmates and teachers. Chase enjoyed these conversations too, though he let Molly do most of the talking. Often he paid as little attention to what she was saying as she did herself. Instead he listened to the inflections in her voice when she expressed different emotions. Without even having to look at her, he knew just what face she'd be making or how her hand would be waving through the empty air.

Chase realized he had been staring at the two girls for several minutes. He turned back into the kitchen to find something to keep him busy until another customer showed up. Molly apparently decided everything would do fine without her attention while she chatted with the Cafe's sole customer. The final rays of sunlight gradually slipped away as Molly waved goodbye to Phoebe.

Instantly bored with the absence of customers, she walked back behind the front counter where she could see Chase cleaning the kitchen. She hopped up onto the counter and sat watching him. She wondered how long it would take him to notice her. Then she began to wonder when it was exactly that he'd noticed her for the first time. How long had they known each other? They'd been friends all throughout high school so far, but didn't she also remember often playing with a peach haired boy in elementary school? To Molly it felt like they had always been friends. She knew there had to be a moment where they first met. And yet all of her early memories of them were dim and blurred together. Nothing would form into a chronological timeline.

"Hey, Chase!" Molly shouted at her friend's back. Chase jumped in surprise. Apparently he had been lost deep in thought as well. He fumbled with something in his hands but it fell and shattered on the ground. The sound startled Molly and her hands flew to cover her mouth.

"Ah, damn it! Molly, you can't sneak up on p- What the hell are you doing on the counter? It's not a chair, get down before you break something." He knelt down out of sight to clean up the shards of glass. Molly hopped down from the counter, indignant.

"Hey! You're the one that broke something, scaredy-cat! Wait, let me clean that. You're going to-"

"Ouch!" Chase's shout of pain was followed by several curses. Molly ran the short distance to the kitchen. As she expected, Chase had been careless picking up the glass. A small stream of blood dripped from his hand.

"See, I tried to tell you. Tsk. Stay there. Nope, stay! We're going to do this the right way now." Molly placed a towel over the floor where Chase's blood dripped. She then went to grab the first aid kit. Chase stood still as he was told, glowering at the wall. Once Molly returned, kit in hand, she gently took Chase by his wounded hand and began leading him towards the family restroom. She held a clean towel under his hand to make sure none of the blood dripped onto the floor. When Chase tried to resist, she simply squeezed his hand more forcefully and dragged him along more quickly. Resigned to his fate, he sighed and let Molly lead him with no resistance. Neither spoke nor looked at the other while Molly tended his wound.

"There." Molly said. She rested her hands on her hips and watched Chase wiggle his fingers, testing his hand. "So..."

Chase crossed his arms and glared at Molly, still not speaking. Molly stared back up at him. She bit the insides of her lips, trying not to laugh at his expression and the situation in general. She failed. The giggles escaped her lips before she could stop them. Although he tried, Chase was unable to hold back his laughter too.

"I'm so sorry I scared you, Chase. And made you cut your hand." Molly apologized sincerely, though still fighting laughter. Chase smiled and tugged her auburn ponytail then swiveled her towards the door gently pushing her by the shoulders.

"Yeah, yeah. It wasn't your fault. Come on, it's almost time to lock up".

The cafe was _almost_ exactly as they left it. Both teens immediately noticed the presence of a strange man sitting alone at a table in the far corner under a burned out light. He wore a long purple robe and pants so white they looked unreal to Molly. His purple hood covered most of his head, but a brownish gray braid was visible on the left side. A large foam cup of coffee (presumably) with the Cafe Castanet logo on the front sat on the table in front of him next to a bowl of mint ice cream.

"Oh, d-...er...darn it! See, this is why I said Master Yolanda needs to schedule more than two people for this shift. I hate the night shift. Here". Molly shoved the bag of bloody towels and wipes at Chase. "Take this to the garbage while I take care of this guy. Please."

"What? No! That guy looks crazy, I am not leaving you alone with him." Molly chuckled, trying to be quiet.

"Shh! Don't be rude. He can probably hear you. Stop. Stop! Ok, fine. Just gimme a second. Wait over there." Molly straightened her apron and put on her "hostess" demeanor like a suit.

She walked quickly over to the man's table. "Good evening, sir. Welcome to Cafe Castanet. I apologize there was no one here to serve you when you came in. Unfortunately, we're closing at this time. Is there anything I can help you with before you go?" Molly held her breath, hoping the man didn't notice she was slightly afraid.

The stranger lifted his head slowly. Molly gasped slightly. One green eye and one honey gold eye looked up at Molly's autumn-brown eyes. Molly blinked rapidly. It was difficult for her not to stare. His heterochromatic eyes were surprising enough, but underneath the man's right eye, the gold one, was a small white tattoo. It made for a very vivid contrast to his dark skin. "Uh...um..."

"The money to pay for my items...is on the counter. I will be...leaving...momentarily. Thank you." He stood and bowed to Molly before picking up his coffee and walking towards the exit. Molly stood watching him go, at a complete loss what to do. She shook her head to refocus her attention.

"G-Goodnight!" she said to his retreating form. He didn't turn around or show any sign that he heard her. Then he was gone.

"That was really weird." Molly hadn't noticed Chase come up behind her. He now stood next to her, looking at the door as if the strange man might reappear any moment.

"Yeah. It was." she said.

Chase poked her arm to get her attention. "Hey, come look at this." She followed Chase to the kitchen. It looked the same as it did the last time she saw it, but now there was no sign of any blood or broken glass.

"Oh, hey!" she said. "You cleaned that up really fast."

He shook his head. "I didn't clean it. It was gone when I got here." Molly shuddered.

"O-k, that is really creepy. Come on. Let's finish closing up. I wanna go home now."

Molly tucked her phone into her bag. Chase shrugged on his jacket and zipped it up. The two of them had finished locking up the small building which now sat dark, nestled between two other buildings. They now sat at one of the tables on a far wall, the only light coming from a small hanging lamp above them.

"You don't have to wait with me, Chase. My sister probably just forgot I work late tonight. I texted her. She'll probably be here any minute." Molly wrapped her hands tighter around her cup, trying to absorb it's heat. Chase spun his around on the table between his hands.

"Nope. I am not leaving until someone other than a crazy hobo wizard shows up right to the front door and picks you up. If you got murdered, _Maya_ would have to cover your shift. And then she'd somehow manage to poison me and I would be dead too. The cafe would lose it's only good chef. With no one around amazing enough to fill my shoes the cafe would be out of business. Master Yolanda would lose all credibility and have to live on the street. It'd be a mess, Molly. A mess." Chase managed to keep a straight face through his entire speech. Molly however had been laughing uncontrollably since "crazy hobo wizard".

"So anyway." Chase began once Molly had control over herself again. "What did you want?"

"Huh?"

"Earlier, before you broke that glass. You were calling me?"

"Hey, don't try to change the story. You broke it, not me. It was nothing important."

"Uh-uh, don't give me that. All the trouble you caused, you have to tell me what started it." Molly fidgeted in her seat, a blush beginning to form on her cheeks. Reluctantly she answered him.

"I...was just wondering...if you remembered when -and how- we first became friends. That's all..."

"What? Who said we were friends? That is so presumptuous of you. I'm not your friend." Molly threw a mint from a dish on the table. It hit him solidly on his forehead. "Ow! See? I would never be friends with someone so violent. Alright, alright. Stop. Hmm...let's see." He tapped his finger on the table while he thought. "That is such a random question, what makes you ask?"

Now it was Molly that began to tap her fingers on the table. "I dunno. I was just trying to think of my first memory of us being friends. But I can't remember. It just seems like we've always been friends."

"Sap." This time Molly punched him on the shoulder. Chase just laughed. "Fine, fine. I think it was in...4th grade? Mr. Ozzie's class. He paired us up for the, what did he call it? Oh, the 'Backyard Ecosystem Safari' project. You hated me for it because you wanted to be partners with-"

"Kathy! Yeah, I remember now!" Molly leaned in closer, getting carried away with the sudden rush of memories. She clasped her hands together where they rested on the table between her and Chase. "Oh, I was so mean to you. Sorry. Wait, but didn't you put a salamander in my hair? Jerk!" Chase's hand froze in a hovering state above the dish of mints he had been reaching for. Candy forgotten, he instead let his hand drop beside the dish. His other hand gestured chastisingly at Molly.

"Hey, that was _after_ you pushed me in the stream because I said you needed to record our 'findings' for our report."

"Mm, no. You touched my arm. I pushed you because Kathy told me you had cooties. Sorry again. Wait so how is this the time we became friends?"

"Because after I put the salamander on your head, you threw a handful of mud at me and turned our project into a mud fight. You had fun, I guess, because you invited me to play with you at recess the next day." Subconsciously, Chase pushed the dish of candy out of the way, clearing more space for the pair's hands. "And then somehow we kept getting paired up in class. I think Mr. Hamilton thought it was punishment for the mud fight. Ah. I miss those days."

Both sat silently for a moment thinking back on their elementary years. Molly lifted her eyes to see Chase's electric lavender ones already looking at her. Suddenly something felt different. She couldn't say what, but something had changed in just that moment. Feeling her cheeks get hot, she quickly looked back down at the table. Their hands were suddenly very interesting to her. His were so close to hers. Very, very slowly, she uncurled her fingers. Very, very slowly, he opened his hands as though offering her something. The still silence and darkness of the cafe made it seem harder to breathe. That was Molly's excuse for her rapidly beating heart anyway. It was as though if either of them moved their hands too quickly something would break. For some reason she couldn't bring herself to look back up at her childhood friend, though she could feel his eyes on her. She inched one hand over his and left it hovering there. Like she somehow knew he would, Chase gently -and so, so slowly- closed his hand around hers.

Before Molly could even lift her head, a loud honking noise startled the both of them. Molly audibly squeaked in surprise. Their hands flew apart and both jumped from their seats. "Oh! Th-that must be my...um...my sister." Molly struggled to get her words out while she gathered up her things and headed for the door.

"Right! Yeah, your sister. You should... Wait, here. I have the key." The two stepped outside bathed in the light from the car's headlights. Chase locked the door behind them and turned to Molly. Neither really looked at the other. "So... I'll see you later." Chase told the air beside Molly.

"Yeah, I'll...yeah. Goodnight". Molly said to the ground.

"Goodnight". Molly tossed her things into the car. Before closing the door she waved goodbye to Chase. His eyes were bright and he had a smile on his face. She smiled back at him.

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**A/N: And there it is! What do you think? This one-shot kinda just happened but it's the first fic that I have actually FINISHED so I'm kinda proud of it :) I'm thinking I _might _write an insert about what goes on in the day-shift. We'll see! Thank you for reading~**


	2. The Day Shift

**A/N: First of all WOAH I cannot thank violetfireflies, CAPJHMPAgirl, tiedyedseashells, and Cotton Candy Mareep enough for your lovely reviews! I just about passed out when I saw some of my favorite fic authors reviewed MY little fic. This was just going to be a one shot but your reviews convinced me to write more. Therefor this chapter is inspired by and dedicated to you!**

**I tried really hard to make this chapter better than the last, but I'm not sure I succeeded. It's also quite a bit longer. What do you think, better? Worse? Anyway, please enjoy chapter two of Cafe Castanet!**

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The Day Shift

Sounds of light sleepy chatter swirled in the air with the strong aroma of coffee and fresh pastries baking in the kitchen. Molly breathed in deeply, eyes closed, soaking it all in. The atmosphere of the little cafe was her favorite aspect of her job. There was something about it that made her cozy and warm. Everything here felt a little more special than it did elsewhere. In the right mood she would even describe it as magical.

"Ah. I love the day shift." she said aloud to no one. Molly stretched her arms behind her back. She had just finished taking the orders of what seemed like would be an endless stream of customers and now scanned the restaurant searching for something to keep her busy. She was about to step around the counter to wipe down some recently vacated tables when she saw Luna walking towards her.

Luna's pink ponytails tied up on either side of her head bounced as she walked. Her blue eyes were focused on the phone in her hand, but she masterfully maneuvered through the little cafe without missing a step. Molly had always loved Luna's eyes. Paired with her lovely hair and pretty face, Luna had the kind of appearance that made you look twice upon seeing her for the first time.

"Hey, Luna. You leaving already?" Molly asked, noticing Luna was no longer wearing her uniform.

"Yup." Luna replied, looking up from her phone and tucking it into her pocket. "I'm going out with Gill today. He's driving us up to Flute Hill. Don't worry, I worked it out with Master Yolanda first. By the way, why isn't she here today? I thought Chase only worked the night shift. Anyway, Maya should be here in a few to cover my shift. See ya later." Luna finished clocking out and was already headed for the door before Molly could say anything other than a quick goodbye.

It was always like that with Luna, which Molly didn't usually mind. Getting a word in with Luna could be a feat, but even one-sided conversations with her were never dull. They didn't share many classes but working together allowed them to become closer than she was with many of the students in her own year.

Molly was still pondering her relationships with her younger peers when, just as Luna said she would, Maya walked through the door.

"Good morning, Maya!" Molly called to her friend.

"Mornin', Molly! Busy day today?" Maya hopped behind the counter to clock herself in.

"Yup." Molly replied. "You just missed the first rush. Luna just left too, did you see her on your way in?"

"Yeah! How come she's leaving so early? Granny didn't tell me. She looked like she was in a super big hurry. So I just waved extra fast and she smiled." Maya smiled bigger than she was already. That's what Molly loved most about Maya. She was so bright and quick to smile. The smile was always genuine in a way that made Molly smile too just talking with the younger girl.

"She was in a hurry. She said she has a- oh, sorry, I'll tell you later. Could you please go clear those tables over there? We've got a few more people about to come in."

"Yup, sure thing! I'll be super quick." she swiveled around and leaned over the pass-through separating the dining room from the kitchen. "Good morning, Chase!" she called to the peachy haired chef's back. When he didn't reply, she turned back around, waved at Molly, and skipped off to set about her tasks. It was obvious that Maya shrugged off the minor offense from Chase. Molly, however, was miffed in her stead.

"Tsk, Chase! You can't at least say good morning to Maya?" Chase looked over his shoulder at Molly but continued cutting fruit into small chunks.

"I don't like her." He said no more and turned back to his cutting board. Just as she was about to reply, two new customers stepped up to the front counter ready to order. She turned to take the orders of the new guests, smile on her face and honey in her voice.

"Well, I do like her and I would rather you didn't upset her." Customers cared for, Molly resumed their conversation as if there had been no interruption. She leaned her crossed arms on the pass-through. "Besides, that isn't fair. You don't like anybody."

Chase set down his knife and turned to face Molly. He set his arms in front of hers, mirroring her stance. Molly tried not to notice how close their faces were to each other. The thin surface of the pass-through forced their arms to touch, sending distracting tingles up her arms.

"That's a bit dramatic. And wrong. I like you."

Molly's eyes shot up to meet Chase's. His eyes were wide, his expression a jumble of emotions not all of which Molly could put names to. Shock, regret, and...anticipation? It seemed to Molly as if he had said more than he meant to and was now anxiously waiting for her reaction, though his face had almost immediately defaulted to an unreadable expression. Molly's mind raced for something to say. What should she say? What did she _want _to say? He probably hadn't meant anything special, and she was just reading too much into a simple phrase. But then why did he react the way he had? She opened her mouth to speak and took a sharp intake of breath when a soft tentative tap on her shoulder startled her. She jumped, her arms flying off the pass-through so quickly she nearly hit Chase in the face as she straightened up.

"Oh, goddess, I'm so sorry, Chase! Y-yes, Maya? I'm sorry, what do you need?" The orange haired girl looked between Molly and Chase, who had also straightened himself, looking disappointed and noticeably annoyed at the interruption. Maya seemed to shrink under the undeserved glare Chase gave her.

"Uh...'scuse me. Sorry to...interrupt? Do you have the order ready for Toby and Renee? They've been waiting. Not that they've really noticed. Lost in each others eyes like they are." Maya giggled nervously, trying to lighten the mood. It seemed to have the opposite effect on Chase as he retreated back into the kitchen, presumably to fetch the order. Molly apologized again to Maya, who waved it off, her usual smile back on her face.

"Really! 's no problem. Just came ta check on the order" Despite Maya's assurances, Molly still felt ashamed at her inattention to her guests. "It's not like they've been waiting _that _long. Oh, see! Chase finished the order already. That was super quick." Maya went to grab the tray that carried a cup of coffee, green tea, and a slice of cake that Chase sat down on the pass-through before silently busying himself with some task in the kitchen. Before she could get her hands on it, Molly had already snatched it up.

"I'll take it! I want to apologize personally." Molly explained after seeing Maya's slightly startled face.

"Oh, ok! I'll watch the front for ya. Before you go could I just-" Molly moved the tray to her other side, out of Maya's reach.

"No, you can _not_ taste the customer's cake!" The look on Maya's face _used _to convince Molly to give in to the girl every time. By now, though, she had learned to resist that youthful face and her sparkling blue eyes.

"Aw, boo! Not even just a little taste?" Maya pouted.

"Nope. You can have some leftovers after work. Now I've really got to take this before Toby and Renee actually manage to look away from each other."

Now that the traffic of the morning crowd had ended, the relative quiet of the cafe gave Molly the opportunity to think. She swept at tiny crumbs and wrappers on the floor, forming them into small piles. At the same time, she tried to sweep her thoughts into coherent piles. Neither she nor Chase had talked about, or even mentioned, that night shift they'd worked together. Sometimes during quiet moments between classes or shared free periods their eyes would meet just briefly and she could swear she read that night in his eyes. But before she could question that look, he'd turn away or bring up another topic. Work didn't provide any better opportunities. The two hadn't shared a shift together again until today. Molly only worked day shift, and had been covering a shift for a coworker who had gotten sick that one night. She didn't know why Chase was working the day shift today. Up until now the cafe had been too busy to try asking him. For some reason the thought to question his presence hadn't crossed her mind anyway.

She glanced over to the kitchen for what seemed like the hundredth time, trying to be inconspicuous. This was unlike her, a fact that made her feel hyper aware of the act.

Chase was, of course, busy in the kitchen. Currently he was mixing some unknown ingredients in a large bowl. Even from her position on the other side of the room, she could see the glint of the silver hairpins Chase used to keep his hair out of his face when he cooked. Her stomach made a weird tumbling sensation that she did _not _like. She had given him those hairpins long ago for the very purpose they were still being used for. How had she not noticed before? They couldn't be the same pins, could they?As if he could feel her eyes on him, Chase suddenly glanced behind him. The unexpectedness of the glance startled Molly. His electric eyes struck hers like lightning, causing an uncomfortable flutter in her chest. That was the last straw. Unable to handle the annoying flutters and careful glances any longer, her tensions snapped. _Screw this! _She thought to herself.

Steeling her resolve, she advanced towards Chase. Realizing she was coming towards him, he rotated the rest of his body around, a very confused expression on his face. At the exact moment she opened her mouth to speak her mind, the usually charming chime of bells went off above the entrance, announcing the arrival of new customers.

"Holy Harvest Goddess above! Of all the goddess forsaken- it is _noon_! Who the bloody bells-" Molly turned on her heel towards the incoming duo, muttering angrily under her breath. Not quiet enough, however, to keep the now very amused chef from hearing. His poorly stifled snickers turned to full out laughter when Molly snapped her head around to him, eyes glaring and cheeks pink with anger and annoyance. Her hair spun about her face before settling back above her shoulders. Chase threw up his hands defensively and backed away returning again to his work. Molly huffed, greatly annoyed and disappointed with the ill-timed interruption, but masterfully turned on her "hostess" mode. It was something she was very good at. Usually.

The duo that had entered lingered back, looking at the simple menu on the front side of the counter. The short menu was drawn daily on a whiteboard in alternating colors. One of the boys Molly recognized as Owen from school. The other was familiar as well, but Molly couldn't recall his name. What she recognized wasn't his face, but the very distinctive fire patterned bandana tied over his wild blue hair.

"See, Luke! I told you, man. This is a _coffee _shop. They don't got lunch." The red-haired Owen told his friend.

"Aw, but the sign outside looked so EXTREME!" The other boy, Luke, replied. Molly noticed he wasn't actually paying much attention to his friend or the menu. He scanned the little cafe back and forth as if looking for something.

"Dude, it looked like a coffee shop sign. Come on, lets-" Owen tried to urge his friend towards the door but Luke just shrugged him off and pulled Owen forward instead.

"Nah, man. Let's just try it out. Hey, lady!" Luke said to Molly, unnecessarily loud for their proximity. "Whatcha got that's the most EPIC?!" Most of the guests that came to Cafe Castanet were sleepy commuters looking for their daily pick-me-up, or young high school/college aged kids that enjoyed the atmosphere and had acquired tastes for the relatively expensive treats. A guest like Luke was completely new to Molly, and she wasn't completely sure how to react to him. His exuberance had all but erased her previous anger and frustration from just minutes ago, instead replacing it with a neutral temperament better suited to her.

"The most epic?" Molly repeated. "I'm not sure, are you looking for something to eat or drink today?" she asked, trying to find out just what it was this boy wanted from her.

"Either. Or both! Whatever's awesome!" This was going nowhere. Molly suggested a few of the more popular items, none of which appealed to Luke. Owen stood just behind Luke, arms crossed, hoping the younger boy would decide to go elsewhere.

"Luke!" Maya appeared next to Molly, a bundle of napkins in her arms. "And Owen!" she exclaimed, noticing him still slightly turned towards the door. "Hiya, guys! I didn't expect to see you two here. What's up?"

"Maya! There you a- Oh, um, yeah! I was just- I mean. _We _were looking around for something awesome for lunch and this place was like 'I'm awesome, eat here!'. So here we are." Luke bounced and waved his arms as he talked. He punctuated his speech with a click of his mouth and shoved his hands into the pockets of his ripped jeans, still bouncing. Owen rolled his eyes, now understanding why his friend dragged him to a coffee shop for lunch. The oblivious Maya giggled and set the napkins on the counter.

"This place _is_ super awesome. What can I getcha?" Molly swiped the pile of napkins from the counter, communicating her intentions to Maya with a nod. She stuck the napkins in their holder still watching the exchange with the two freshmen, a smile on her face.

"I dunno. I'm not really into sweets. D'ya got anything else?"

"Oh, I know just the thing for ya!" Maya said excitedly. "How 'bout a super delicious smoothie? They're available by request. And we can put spinach in it!"

"Woah, that sounds EXTREME! I'll take it!" Luke smiled and punched the air.

"Great! Hey, Chase! We got any spinach left?" They all turned to look at the entrance to the kitchen where the chef in mention leaned against the doorway, curious what all the noise was about.

"Yeah. But I am not going to ruin a perfectly good smoothie by putting _spinach _in it." He gave the two a look that implied they were insane for even suggesting it. "Besides, the spinach is for the salads."

"Wait, wait. You have spinach salads too? Epic! Can we get some of those too?"

"Cool, so two spinach salads and two banana-spinach smoothies?" Maya looked questioningly at Owen, asking if that was correct. Although obviously still disappointed with his friend's chosen destination for lunch, but wanting to be supportive, he muttered a "whatever" and pulled out his wallet.

"I am not making a banana and spinach smoothie!" Chase repeated, annoyed at being ignored.

"Aw, come on. Please, Chase?" Maya pouted.

"Pretty please, Chase?" Luke repeated the name he heard Maya give, not knowing the chef himself.

"Yeah. Pretty please, Chase?" Molly joined in. She was too amused with the entire situation to resist. Chase just stared at her, unable to believe she was supporting the horrendous display. When he again refused to "defile a perfectly good smoothie" she clasped her hands together under her chin, mock pleading. She stuck her bottom lip out and batted her eyes a few times for good measure. She giggled with childish delight at the sudden flush of pink in his cheeks. He threw his hands up in defeat.

"Fine! Just this once, got it?" The group cheered and chorused "Thank you" at the offended chef, which he ignored. Maya and Luke slapped an enthusiastic high five.

The event with Maya's two friends things simmered down in the little cafe. Everything was clean and tidy. The few people still in the cafe were silently working on laptops or scribbling in notebooks, textbooks sitting open beside them. Maya skipped cheerfully through the cafe taking care of any little task that caught her attention. A rumble from her stomach reinforced her next decision. Now was a good time for her break.

Molly signaled to Maya, letting her know she'd be in charge for a while, then poked her head into the kitchen.

"Chase," she called. "I'm going on break. Can you make me a-"

"Yup." he interrupted casually.

"What? You didn't even let me tell you what I want."

"I'll make you something. Go take your break." Her silence prompted him to look in her direction. She glared at him skeptically. "What? You'll love it, I promise." He turned back around. "Maya will bring it to you in a few minutes." Molly shrugged and left. She thought his "request" was odd but she didn't have a problem with it. Chase's food was always delicious. And after all the years they'd known each other he knew what she did and didn't like.

Outside behind the cafe Molly stood on her toes stretching her hands as if she were reaching for the setting sun. After being in the relatively chilly cafe for so long the warm sunlight made her feel like she was thawing. It was for this reason she liked taking her breaks out here when she could. She hadn't been outside for long when she heard the back door opening. Fully expecting to see Maya with Chase's mystery snack, Molly was a little shocked to see the chef himself instead.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked. "I thought you were sending Maya out." Chase closed the door with his foot then leaned casually against the wall next to it."I'm taking a smoke break." he answered, offering her a styrofoam cup.

"Chase, you do _not _smoke." Molly replied, taking the offered drink. She hadn't meant it to be, but the unspoken "You'd better not" was so palpable she may as well have said it aloud.

"Don't look at me like that," he chuckled "Of course I don't, but Master Yolanda doesn't know that. If you haven't driven me to smoking by now you probably never will." Molly punched his shoulder which just made him chuckle again."Did you just come out here to tease me? As I recall, you promised me a snack I'd love." Suddenly Chase looked hesitant.

"Yeah, I..." Chase cleared his throat to clear the nervousness from his voice.

"Are you alright? It's ok if you forgot." Molly angled her head trying to get a better look at Chase, who had stopped looking at her. "Your face is kinda red. Do you wanna go back inside?"

"No, I'm just...Goddess, this is stupid. Here." He handed her a small white box she somehow hadn't noticed he was holding. The bow on top was a bright red-orange, Molly's favorite color.

"What-" Molly began.

"Just open it." He stepped a little closer, watching for her reaction.

She pulled at one end of the ribbon until it came undone. She stuffed the ribbon into her pocket and pulled off the lid. Immediately she recognized the contents and gasped. Inside the box was a small pie, a little bigger than a cupcake would be. The filling was rich, creamy, strawberry cheesecake covered with a lattice crust. Swirls of pink and red icing decorated the lovely golden-brown lattice. On the top of the pie a single pink cat mint bloom sat on a dollop of thick whipped cream, giving the sweet dessert a delicate and beautiful appearance.

"Is this-"

"Yeah." He smiled and visibly relaxed, apparently pleased with her reaction. "I promised I'd make it for you someday. I know it took a long time. I wanted to get it perfect before giving it to you."

Molly remembered it vividly. When they were younger walking to school together they would stop and peek through the windows of a fancy restaurant along their route. One day Molly had spotted a young couple sharing the very dessert she now held in her hands. They had decided then that when they were older they would go to that restaurant and share the pretty treat. Unfortunately, not long after that, the chef moved away and the restaurant closed. Molly was so upset, Chase made the promise that he'd keep learning to cook and would one day make the dessert for her himself.

Molly was at a loss for words, though she tried to find say something.

"Chase, it's so... I can't believe..." She gave up. Carefully tightening her grip on the box in one hand, she reached for Chase's arm, meaning to pull him into an embrace. As soon as she touched his arm, the back door slammed open causing her to jump and grip Chase too tightly. She stumbled trying to keep her balance and Chase steadied her with a hand on her back.

"Really, guys?" Maya shouted, upset with the scene she'd walked out to. "You can't just _both _leave me alone by myself, meanies! Flirt _after _work, there's a buncha people in there getting real impatient. I won't tell Granny, but at least one of you has gotta help me out!" Maya looked expectantly at the two, fists on her hips.

"Flir- Maya, we weren't-" Chase began.

"I'm so sorry, Maya! I totally forgot. Don't worry, we're coming right now. Come on, Chase." Molly grabbed Chase's hand with her free one and pulled him along following behind Maya. She was acutely aware of the pink in both her cheeks and his, as well as the the way he adjusted his hand to fit more comfortably in hers. But now was not the time to think about those things. They had work to do.

* * *

**A/N: Tada! Now it's a...two-shot? I'm pretty happy with this but I'm not sure about the length. It feels a little too long for one chapter, right?**

**Story time! The smoke break scene was inspired by a story my teacher told us when I took a cooking class once. He noticed a bunch of his coworkers were getting extra breaks to go smoke so he'd go out and chat with them even though he didn't smoke himself. When his boss found out he told him he wasn't supposed to take those breaks since he didn't smoke. So he started buying cigarettes and pretending to smoke them so he could keep taking the breaks. It sounded like something Chase would do, so I added it in :)**

**Well, I hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading~**


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